Foothill Transit

Foothill Transit is a public transit agency that is government funded by 22 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley region of eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, as well as a rapid bus route to and from downtown Los Angeles from the El Monte Busway, and a few of its local routes reach the far northern and western edge cities of neighboring Orange and San Bernardino counties, respectively. In Template:American transit ridership, the system had a ridership of Template:American transit ridership, or about Template:American transit ridership per weekday as of Template:American transit ridership.

Overview

Template:OSM Location map Foothill Transit operates out of two yards: one in Pomona (opened in 1997), and the other in Arcadia (opened in 2002); the administrative offices moved to West Covina in 2007.<ref name=FY2013BP /> The Foothill Transit joint powers authority membership consists of elected representatives from 22 member cities in the San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley and three members appointed from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.<ref name=FY2014-15BP /> These representatives are divided into five geographical clusters, which each elect a representative annually to serve on a five-member executive board.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Foothill Transit Organization<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cluster 1	Cluster 2	Cluster 3	Cluster 4	Cluster 5
Claremont	Azusa	Arcadia	El Monte	LA County Supervisors
La Verne	Baldwin Park	Bradbury	Diamond Bar
Pomona	Covina	Duarte	Industry
San Dimas	Glendora	Monrovia	La Puente
Walnut	Irwindale	Pasadena	South El Monte
	West Covina	Temple City

Funding

Foothill Transit is mainly funded by local sales tax revenue, with 75% coming from Los Angeles County Propositions A and C, California State Transportation Development Act, and the State Transit Assistance Fund. The remaining 25% comes from farebox revenue.<ref name="Fast Facts" />

History

Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum is credited with the formation of the transit agency. Schabarum, annoyed by what he saw as disproportionate cutbacks of bus service by the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) in the San Gabriel Valley,<ref name=LAT-890518 /> wanted to secede from the larger agency and form a separate transit agency as early as 1986.<ref name=LAT-881106>Template:Cite news</ref> Compared to routes serving more densely populated areas, routes in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys required greater subsidies to serve fewer riders on longer freeway alignments in eastern Los Angeles County.<ref name=LAT-920725>Template:Cite news</ref>

Foothill was initially founded by 20 member cities;<ref name=LAT-881106 /> Pasadena voted to join in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1987, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) approved Foothill to take over fourteen routes which serviced the San Gabriel Valley that were currently operated by SCRTD.<ref name=FY2013BP /> Although service was planned to start on July 1, 1988,<ref name=LAT-880731>Template:Cite news</ref> the Foothill Transit Zone had been prevented from starting service in July by an injunction arising from a lawsuit filed by the drivers and mechanics unions (United Transportation and Amalgamated Transit Unions) of SCRTD against LACTC.<ref name=LAT-920725 /> Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eli Chernow ruled that LACTC could not unilaterally transfer the lines without the consent of the SCRTD board of directors. The injunction was upheld on appeal.<ref name=LAT-880728>Template:Cite news</ref>

LACTC had begun withholding $9 million per month from SCRTD in April 1988 on the basis that SCRTD had not followed salary guidelines set by LACTC; SCRTD replied that LACTC, under the leadership of its chairman (Schabarum), was holding the funds hostage to pressure SCRTD to release the lines to Foothill Transit.<ref name=LAT-881106 /> SCRTD consented to Foothill Transit taking over the bus lines in December 1988 in return for the restoration of funding.<ref name=LAT-890720 /> Those first two lines operated by Foothill Transit were 495 and 498.<ref name=FY2013BP>Template:Cite report</ref>

The trial for the lawsuit against Foothill Transit started in May 1989,<ref name=LAT-890518>Template:Cite news</ref> was resolved in Foothill's favor by July,<ref name=LAT-890720>Template:Cite news</ref> and the other twelve lines previously operated by SCRTD were transitioned to Foothill Transit between 1989 and 1992.<ref name=FY2013BP /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For a short period in 1992, the last two routes to transition (486 and 488) were operated by both Foothill Transit and SCRTD during continued legal disputes.<ref name=LAT-920725 /> The drivers and mechanics unions disputed the transfer of 486 and 488 since SCRTD had made the decision without negotiating with the union; an arbitrator held up the unions' argument, which led to duplicated service on those lines, as "Foothill Transit [had] the legal right to operate buses on the contested routes, but the [SCRTD had] the legal obligation to do so", and the union planned to use that precedent to roll back service to SCRTD on all fourteen lines.<ref name=LAT-920725 /> However, Foothill Transit again prevailed in a February 1993 court ruling.<ref name=LAT-930203>Template:Cite news</ref>

Contract labor

Schabarum, who hated the influence of trade unions, chose to use contractors to operate the service.<ref name=LAT-940802>Template:Cite news</ref> All of the operations and maintenance work for Foothill Transit are contracted out. Template:As of, bus service is operated by Keolis at Pomona and Transdev at Arcadia/Irwindale.

Embree Bus Lines was the initial contractor that operated the first two lines for Foothill starting in December 1988.<ref name=LAT-890720 /> The hourly operating cost under Foothill Transit was reduced by up to half compared to service under SCRTD, and ridership grew, but the contract operator drivers generally earned less in both wages and fringe benefits, and had less influence over working conditions. In addition, Foothill Transit was not required to provide typical rider services such as schedules, bus stops, transit police, or telephone information.<ref name=LAT-920725 /> During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Foothill Transit terminated service at El Monte rather than continue on to downtown Los Angeles.<ref name=LAT-920725 /> Over the first five years, Foothill Transit consistently saved money compared to SCRTD's historical costs.<ref name=LAT-930203 /> In 1994, Foothill reported their hourly cost of operations was $55, compared to $93 for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), with a farebox recovery ratio of 48% (compared to 32% for Metro) at a lower fare of $0.85 (compared to $1.10 for Metro, which was scheduled to increase to $1.35 later that year). In addition, Foothill reported an accident rate of 0.3 per Template:Convert traveled, compared to Metro's rate of 3.3 per Template:Convert, although Metro's accident rate was skewed by older buses and more dense traffic in its operating area.<ref name=LAT-940802 />

Foothill executives made the service essentially strike-proof by insisting that two different companies operate the two bus yards, even if it would cost more in the short term. By 1998, Foothill's contractors were Laidlaw and Ryder/ATE.<ref name=LAT-980412>Template:Cite news</ref> However, due to bus industry consolidation, First Transit operated both yards from 2001 to mid-2007. Currently, both Foothill Transit yards are represented by unions (Arcadia by the Amalgamated Transit Union and Pomona by the Teamsters Union), but past strikes at the agency have been less than successful due to the ability of one yard to operate the other yard's service.<ref name=LAT-960223 /><ref name=LAT-970605 /> In addition, wages are less at Foothill than at other transit operators in the region.<ref name=LAT-920725 />

The contract operator drivers at Foothill were also represented by the Teamsters, but a 1994 Los Angeles Times article reported they earned an average of $11 per hour, compared to the average $18.45 per hour earned by Metro drivers.<ref name=LAT-940802 /> A representative of the union representing Metro's drivers, the United Transportation Union, accused Foothill of not paying its drivers a living wage; the president of the company that was then contracted to manage Foothill, William P. Forsythe, stated the Template:USD typical annual pay of a Foothill driver "isn't bad for a service industry job" and admitted it wasn't fair "compared to MTA, but they've been overpaying for years."<ref name=LAT-940802 /> In January 1995, the Los Angeles Times reported the majority of the 150 drivers for Laidlaw made $8.50 per hour; those drivers, represented by the Teamsters, rejected a proposed contract that offered no wage increases.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Laidlaw, which was responsible for approximately half of Foothill's fleet, operated out of the Upland Yard. The first strike against Foothill Transit started when Laidlaw drivers walked off in February 1996, asking for an immediate $1/hour raise and full medical coverage. Teamsters Local 848 officials stated that drivers could not afford private health insurance, and had to rely on county services instead. Foothill's other contractor was not affected and continued normal operations during the strike.<ref name=LAT-960223>Template:Cite news</ref> The strike ended after thirteen days, when drivers accepted a 3% pay raise with no health coverage on a one-year contract under the threat they would be fired and replaced if they did not return to work.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shortly after the expiration of the contract, Laidlaw drivers went on strike again in June 1997, but that strike was settled within hours, as most drivers were no longer represented by the union.<ref name=LAT-970605>Template:Cite news</ref> The reported average wages in 1998 was $9.30 per hour for Ryder/ATE drivers (represented by the Teamsters), and $9.06 per hour for Laidlaw drivers (who had previously voted to become an open shop).<ref name=LAT-980412 />

In 2007, Foothill Transit introduced the San Gabriel Valley's first bus rapid transit line, the Silver Streak. The service was described in the 2006-07 budget as a "bus system which operates like a rail line on rubber tires" with all-door boarding and limited stops.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Effective July 1, 2013, due to expiration of the existing management services contract and continuing conflicts of interest between the executive director, staff, and board, Foothill Transit transitioned to in house management. Executive Director Doran Barnes became the first full-time Foothill employee, and planning, procurement, and other administrative functions became Foothill functions as well.<ref name=FY2014-15BP>Template:Cite report</ref> Transdev (formerly Veolia) staff continues to operate the transit stores and maintain bus shelters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The last two lines operated by Metro (SCRTD's successor) in the eastern San Gabriel Valley were turned over to Foothill in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, Foothill Transit hired two new contractors, Keolis and Transdev, both of which are French transportation companies, to manage both of their bus storage yards. Keolis took over First Transit's role in managing the Pomona Yard<ref name=Keolis>Template:Cite press release</ref> and Transdev took over First Transit's, and previously MV Transportation's, role in managing the Irwindale Yard.<ref name=Transdev>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Environmental initiatives

In 2002, Foothill Transit began purchasing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses.<ref name=FY2013BP /> In 2010, Foothill Transit was the first transit system to operate an all-electric battery-powered bus from Proterra.<ref name=FY2013BP /> By 2013, when the last diesel-powered 2000–2001 Gillig Advantage buses were retired,<ref name=FY2014-15BP /> Foothill Transit became around a 90 percent CNG fleet. 10 percent of the fleet is electric.

Foothill Transit's main goal is to be fully electric by 2030.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> On January 25, 2021, Foothill Transit received its first two all-electric double-decker buses, which were made by Alexander Dennis in the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fleet Reliability Problems

During its transition to an all Electric Fleet, Foothill Transit suffered a thirty-four percent electric fleet failure rate. The transit system blamed its fleet vendor for the lack of spare parts. Other units stalled while in revenue service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Fiscal year 2020, sixty-seven percent of its electric fleet failed to properly operate. Most of the buses had to wait three hundred days for replacement parts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2021, Foothill transit voted in returning its fleet of Electric Buses to the FTA. Foothill Transit took a 5 million dollar charge, due to its reduced life cycle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fuel Cell Fleet

In 2021, Foothill transit ordered 13 Fuel Cell buses from New flyer to replace its Electric buses<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Fuel Cell Buses began revenue service in December 2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Routes

Local routes

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Los Angeles St, Pacific Av, Valinda Av, Nogales St, Colima Rd	Selected trips serve the Baldwin Park Metrolink Station Serves Plaza West Covina
Template:Visible anchor	Azusa San Gabriel Av & Sierra Madre Av	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Irwindale Av, Glendora Av, Hacienda Bl, Colima Rd	Serves Azusa Downtown station, Irwindale station and Plaza West Covina
Template:Visible anchor	Pasadena Raymond Av & Walnut St	Azusa Azusa Intermodal Transit Center	Colorado Bl, Foothill Bl, Rosemead Bl, Huntington Dr, Foothill Bl	Serves The Shops at Santa Anita, USC Arcadia Hospital and Santa Anita Park
Template:Visible anchor	Azusa Azusa Intermodal Transit Center	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	Rt 66, Foothill Bl	Serves Citrus College, Azusa Pacific University, Claremont Colleges, Claremont Transit Center and Claremont Metrolink Station
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Pomona Cal Poly Pomona	Ramona Bl	Serves Eastland Center and Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Pomona Cal Poly Pomona	Valley Bl	Serves Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	Pomona Cal Poly Pomona	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Temple Av, Rio Rancho Rd, Reservoir St
Template:Visible anchor	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Arrow Hwy, White Av, Fairplex Dr, Orange Grove Av	Serves La Verne/Fairplex station and Fairplex Park & Ride
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Montebello The Shops at Montebello	Santa Anita Av, Durfee Av	Serves Whittier Narrows Recreation Area
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Arcadia Arcadia station	Peck Rd, Myrtle Av, Primrose Av, Foothill Bl	Serves Monrovia station
Template:Visible anchor	Duarte Mountain Vista Plaza	West Covina Plaza West Covina	Buena Vista St, Baldwin Park Bl, Merced Av	Serves Duarte/City of Hope station
Template:Visible anchor	Whittier Beverly Bl & Norwalk Bl	West Covina Plaza West Covina	Workman Mill Rd, Puente Av	Serves Rio Hondo College
Template:Visible anchor	Azusa Azusa Intermodal Transit Center	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Azusa Av
Template:Visible anchor	Glendora Citrus College	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Citrus Av, Cameron Av, Sunset Av, Gale Av	Serves Covina Transit Center, Covina Metrolink Station and Plaza West Covina
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Valley Bl, 7th Av, Gale Av, Colima Rd
Template:Visible anchor	Glendora Citrus College	West Covina Eastland Center	Foothill Bl, Lone Hill Av	Serves Glendora station
Template:Visible anchor	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	La Habra Beach Bl & La Habra Bl	Hacienda Bl, Colima Rd, Whitter Bl
Template:Visible anchor	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Brea Brea Mall	Mission Bl, Diamond Bar Bl, SR 57
Template:Visible anchor	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Pomona Cal Poly Pomona	Colima Rd, La Puente Rd	Serves Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	La Verne Durward Wy & D St	Pomona Pomona Ranch Plaza	Rio Rancho Rd, Garey Av, Foothill Bl	Serves Pomona North station and Pomona Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Claremont Claremont Transit Center	Arrow Hwy	Serves Claremont Metrolink Station and Claremont Colleges
Template:Visible anchor	Walnut Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center	San Dimas San Dimas station	Temple Av, SR 57, San Dimas Av	Weekdays only Serves Cal Poly Pomona
Template:Visible anchor	West Covina Plaza West Covina	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	Walnut, Mission Bl, Indian Hill Bl	Serves Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona Transit Center, Claremont Metrolink Station, Claremont Transit Center and Claremont College
Template:Visible anchor	City of Industry Puente Hills Mall	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Colima Rd, Golden Springs Dr, Diamond Bar Bl	Serves Cal Poly Pomona
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Pomona Pomona Transit Center	Garvey Av, Amar Rd	Serves Mt. San Antonio College Transit Center and Cal Poly Pomona
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Glendora Citrus College	Ramona Bl, Francisquito Av, Grand Av	Serves Plaza West Covina and Eastland Center
Template:Visible anchor	El Monte El Monte station	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	Santa Anita Av, Arrow Hwy, Bonita Av	Serves Claremont Metrolink Station, Claremont Colleges and Claremont Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	Duarte Mountain Vista Plaza		Mountain Av, Royal Oaks Dr	Operated as Duarte eBus line by contract for the City of Duarte<ref name="Duarte eBus | Duarte, CA">Template:Cite web</ref> Serves Duarte/City of Hope station

Express routes

Express services operate weekdays only in the peak direction, excluding the Silver Streak.

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
[[Silver Streak (bus)|Template:Visible anchor]]	Downtown LA Pico Bl & Flower St	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	El Monte Busway, I-10	Serves Cal Poly Pomona from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on weekdays only. Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Cal State LA, El Monte station, Plaza West Covina and Pomona Transit Center 24-hour service.
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	Glendora Grand Ave Park & Ride	El Monte Busway, I-10, Grand Av	Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center and Cal State LA
		Covina Covina Transit Center
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	Rowland Heights Colima Rd & Fairway Dr	El Monte Busway, I-10, I-605, SR 60, Colima Rd.	Service may operate on Valley Bl if SR 60 is congested. Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Cal State LA and Puente Hills Mall
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	City of Industry Industry Park & Ride	El Monte Busway, I-10, I-605, SR 60, Brea Canyon Rd	Service may operate on Valley Bl if SR 60 is congested. Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center and Cal State LA
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	West Covina West Covina City Hall Park and Ride	El Monte Busway, I-10,	Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center and Cal State LA
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	San Dimas Via Verde Park & Ride	El Monte Busway, I-10	Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center and Cal State LA
Template:Visible anchor	Downtown LA Figueroa St & 9th St	Montclair Montclair Transcenter	El Monte Busway, I-10	Serves Civic Center/Grand Park Station, Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Cal State LA and Fairplex Park & Ride

Other services

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
Template:Visible anchor	Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium	Pasadena Parsons Corporation parking lot	Fair Oaks Av	Operates for UCLA Football home games, the annual Rose Bowl Game, and other special events at the Rose Bowl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

School supplementary routes

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
Template:Visible anchor	Diamond Bar Copley Dr & Golden Springs Dr	Diamond Bar Diamond Ranch High School	Golden Springs Dr	Operates school days only.

Fares and Passes

Fare type	One-way	Passes
		1-day	10-trip	31-day	EZ Transit
Adult Local + Silver Streak	$1.75	$6	$14	$60	$110
Student Local + Silver Streak	$1	$4	$8	$40	N/A
Children	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Senior/Persons with Disabilities/Medicare Local	$0.75	$3	$6	$30	$42
Access	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Commuter Express	$5.50	-	$44	$180	$220

Transfers

Free 2-Hour Foothill Transit to Foothill Transit local transfers. (Lines 490, 493, 495, 498, 499, and 699), you’ll have to pay the full fare.

Fare
Transfers	$0.50
Discount Transfers	$0.25
Transfers to other partner agencies	Varies

Bus fleet

As of 2025, the Foothill Transit fleet consists of a mixed fleet of NABI, New Flyer, ENC, Proterra and Alexander Dennis buses. These include the Xcelsior, NABI BRT, Enviro500, ElDorado National Axess, and Proterra Catalyst buses. Foothill Transit uses various propulsion systems to power their buses, which are CNG, Hydrogen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Electric.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Foothill Transit uses articulated New Flyer XN60 buses as well as two Double Decker Alexander Dennis Enviro500EVs for use on the Silver Streak (bus) line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The transit agency has an additional twelve Alexander Dennis Enviro500EVs on order.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• May 2006 Footnotes detailing Silver Streak service Template:Webarchive
• Electric bus order 2013 September